Some sunshine, some warmth, and a couple of beasties....

[ayjay]

The Dragonfly season has got off to a very slow start this year, all I've been seeing (with a couple of exceptions last weekend) are Large Red Damselflies, others are faring little better in general, but I saw my first larger Dragons today and a moth I've not noticed before.

 

Large Red Damselfy

 

Speckled Yellow

 

Broad bodied Chaser

 

 

 

 

[nursejudy]

breathtaking

[ayjay]

Thanks NJ: things are still slow, but gradually the warmth is starting to kick in, everything in the dragon world is about a month behind, seen one Downy Emerald today and one Four spot chaser during the week but apart from that as far as the larger ones go it's just Broad Bodied Chasers around - two shots here of the same specimen taken yesterday,

 

[Phone]

ayjay,

 

I really like the moth. That may be the shallowest depth of field I've seen turn out splendid in a long time.

 

Phone

[nursejudy]

their wings are beautiful,we have just had a new pond done and i want to encourage wildlife is there anything you can do to encourage them?

[ayjay]

their wings are beautiful,we have just had a new pond done and i want to encourage wildlife is there anything you can do to encourage them?

There's nothing really special that you can do to specifically attract Odonata, (they will colonise a puddle if it's there long enough), some species are better at dispersing than others but most of them travel around and will investigate any area of water.

 

They will visit well manicured ponds but you'll probably attract more by having it wilder, emergent vegetation is one requirement as most species climb emergent vegetation once the nymph is mature. Different species have different requirements for ovipositing (egglaying) so a good variety of vegetation in the pond will produce more stayers. Stones to bask on, rotting logs and places to perch will all help but are probably not essential.

 

PDF file from the British Dragonfly Society - pond building for Dragonflies.

[nursejudy]

Many thanks for all that info